What Defines a Great Athlete?

What defines a great athlete? Is it the number of championships they've won, MVP's, or individual stats? Is Ben Roethlisberger a better quarterback than Dan Marino because of his two Super Bowl titles? I'd say no because that would be like saying Adam Morrison is a better player than Charles Barkley because of his two championship trophies. At first I was going to bash on Roethlisberger saying he has had everything delivered to him, Pittsburgh was a good team when he arrived. But then I realized Roethlisberger hasn't really had much around him besides an old Hines Ward, decent tight end in Heath Miller and for a short amount of time a drama-filled Santonio Holmes. Granted he has had one of the best defenses surrounding him and all he has to do is put up two touchdowns and a field goal in order for them to win, but he has done it unlike Joe Flacco. Joe Flacco has more talent surrounding him than Big Ben and yet Flacco's Ravens can't make any noise but a lame pigeon squeak in the playoffs. In a sport like football I think it's hard to determine what defines a great athlete but sports is all about winning the big games and that is what Roethlisberger has been able to do twice...maybe three times depending on this weekend....unlike Marino. Would Tebow still one of the greatest college football players to ever play the game if he didn't win two national championships and a Heisman? Would his numbers alone make him deserving of being regarded as the best? The answer is no because all people care about is winning or losing. No one will ever try to brag about their quarterback leading the league in passing if his team is in last place.
Basketball is a bit easier to determine whether winning determines legendary status for an athlete. In basketball winning is the determining factor for judging whether a player is good or great. There are five people at a time on the court for one team in basketball.. meaning a player is 20% responsible for the outcome, unlike football where a player is less than 10% responsible. In basketball there is a lot less variables that go into winning and if a player can score 40 points a night for an NBA team it is going to mean a lot more than a running back rushing for 120 yards. Basketball players can control the outcome of their game more than football players can. You rarely hear someone saying the Packers lost the game because Driver dropped 2 passes, but you do hear people saying the Lakers lost because Kobe shot 5-23 with 11 points. What makes Michael Jordan such a great player is that he was able to have ridiculous number while winning championships and that is what puts him above other players who just have stats to back them up. Once again, all people care about it winning. Why do you think Derek Fisher was able to stay in the league longer than Allen Iverson? Iverson was by far the better player but Fisher knew how to win championships and that is why GM's kept him in the league because knowing how to win championships is more important than knowing how to score thirty points a night.
Oh and for the record my pick to win the Super Bowl is the Packers 27-14. Roethlisberger won’t reach legendary status this year in terms of Super Bowls.